


The Taste of Green Tea

by lionessvalenti



Category: Smash (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 02:59:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom and Kyle meet up for coffee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Taste of Green Tea

There were things Kyle couldn't have imagined in his life. Sitting down to coffee with Tom Levitt was one of them. Of course, _sleeping with Tom Levitt_ hadn't been on the list either, and that had happened.

"I'm glad you called me back," Tom said with a smile.

"Me too," Kyle replied. He wrapped his hands around his Starbucks cup to keep them from shaking, but the cup was hot, even with the cardboard sleeve around it. He'd gotten green tea instead of coffee. He didn't need the caffeine, not with the adrenaline rush coursing through his body. "Look, before we -- I should have told you. I have a -- I had a boyfriend. When we were together. I've never cheated on anyone before, but I just got so starstruck and you're so--" Kyle cut himself off before he could say anything even more embarrassing than what he had just admitted. Tom didn't say anything, maybe waiting for him to continue. Kyle swallowed hard and said, "I just wanted you to know... that's not who I am."

Tom pursed his lips for a moment, and he nodded. "But you're single now, right?"

Kyle felt a tingle of relief cautiously begin to rise up in his stomach. "Yeah. I am."

"Look, Kyle, we all make mistakes. Believe, I know. I've made more than I'd ever like to admit to. Including that one. But it's not about the mistakes you make, it's what you take from them."

With a nervous laugh, Kyle asked, "Is that a line from a song?"

Tom laughed, too. "No, but it should be." He took a sip of his coffee, a hazelnut blend that Kyle could smell from across the table. "So, you were starstruck?"

"Something tells me I shouldn't feed your ego, but... yeah, a little bit." Kyle looked down at the cup in his hands for a second before looking back up at Tom. He knew he was blushing, but from the smile on Tom's face, he liked it. "What can I say, I love theatre. I live in New York, I see your shows. I went to Boston for _Bombshell_ 's try-out. I mean, that's how I met Karen. Sort of. I recognized her in the bar. Thanks, by the way, for letting her go."

Tom shrugged with one shoulder. "Did you meet me so we could talk about Karen?"

"No, I didn't. I... I wanted to see you. No one quite forgets the first time they were serenaded."

"Well, if you date me, there's a lot more where that came from. It comes with the occupational hazard."

Kyle grinned. "Oh, so we're dating now?"

"It depends," Tom replied. "Are you still starstruck?"

Kyle shook his head. "No."

"Good. Because I want a boyfriend, not a fanboy. I sometimes need someone who can call me out on bullshit, and since you're already giving me notes on my work, I guess you're already doing that." Tom took a long drink of coffee and added, "As long as they can take it as well as they give it."

"Oh, I don't need anyone to call me out on mine," Kyle replied, and Tom chuckled. "I'm fully aware of it as it's happening. You spend enough time around bullshitters, you can identify it pretty quick. Even in yourself."

"Jimmy?" Tom guessed. Though it probably wasn't much of a guess. You didn't have to spend a lot of time around Jimmy without witnessing a scene.

"We didn't come here to talk about Jimmy," Kyle replied hastily and took a sip of his tea. It was still too hot and burned his tongue.

Tom raised an eyebrow, but he didn't push. "So, do you want to go out on a real date? Maybe one with food and maybe a movie, or a show? I hear Audra McDonald is amazing in _House of Flowers_."

"Audra McDonald is amazing in everything," Kyle said with a smile. "You should write something for her sometime."

"Maybe _you_ should write something for her sometime," Tom replied. "While we're at it, I hear your show's pretty good, too."

"You'll have to come see it and make up your own mind," Kyle said.

"Are you always this coy?" Tom asked. "About the show. About the date."

"About the show, to you? Yes. About the date... no."

"No?"

Kyle blinked and realized how that could have sounded, and probably how Tom just took it. "No, I mean, I'm not going to be coy. Yes to the date. I want to go on a date with you."

"Oh." Tom sat back in his chair and smiled. "Good."

"Good," Kyle echoed. He tried another sip of his tea, and this time it was just right.


End file.
